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glOHT CAMDEN HOSPITAL— (Continued from page one) Jn 1925, 527 patients were treat ed at the Camden hospital and with a countv population at that time of 30,000, one out of 57 per sons in the county received treat ment in the hospital. In 1947 with an estimated county population of 35,000, there were 3,110 pat ients treated at the hospital or one out of 11 for tta» county population. The use of the hos pital has increased approximately six times during this 23 year per iod. "In 1925 there were 195 major surgical operations performed at the Camden hospital with 13 deaths, with a surgical fatality rate of 6.6 per cent. In 1947 there were 405 major operations jper- formed at Jthe hospital with five deaths, giving a fatality rate of only J.2 per cent. If the same fa tality rate had prevailed in 1947 as in 1925 there would have been 26 deaths in 1947 instead of only five. In 1925 there were 65 babies delivenkl at the hospital and in 1947, 463 babies were welcomed at the hospital. "In 1926 the cost per patient per day. at the Camden hospital was $4.28. In 1947 this cost had risen to $10.12, more than double. "In 1947, 3,093 free days of care were rendered by the Cam den hospital, this being 15.6 per cent of the total days of care. Days of care rendered negroes amounted to 23.4 per cent of the total days of care, which com pares favorably with the average ADAMS HATS America’s Foremost Hats THE CAMPEW CHROWICLg. CAMDCT, SOUTH CAHOLOML FMPAT, PECOttP 17. 1969 for 41 South Carolina hospitals of 21.0 per cent Hie average stay in 1947 at the Camden hospital was 6.6 days as compared with an average stay of 7.7 days for 41 South Carolina hospitals. The Camden hospital is fully ap- by the American C< “ proved Sold By D. C Dixon’s Bargain House 951 Broad Street Rhone 506W CAMDEN, S. C. n College of Surgeons, a national standard izing agency which inspects and accredits hospitals throughout the country. This organization deals primarily with the professional services of the hospital. "Camden hospital is conducted by a three-way partribrship made up of the directors, medical staff members and public officials. "The trustees or directors of the hospital hold title to the property and are legally responsible for the operation of the hospital in all of its phases, medical services, nurs- pi ties of the hospital should be covered in the by-laws of the trustees or directors. It is neces sary for the directors to delegate authority for efficient operation of the hospital — the business management to the administrator and the responsibility for the pro fessional services to the medical staff, but primary responsibility for all of these activities rests with the trustees or directors. It is interesting to note that during 1947 the board of directors of the Camden hospital held 14 meet ings and during that year there were eight active members of this board and the average attendance at these meetings was seven. These figures indicate an active and sustained interest on the part of the directors of the hospital in the operation of this institution. “The medical staff is respon sible by delegation from the trustees or directors for the medi cal services in the hospital. This responsibility is balanced by priv ileges which are extended to the medical staff by the board of the hospital. The hospital is a . com munity enterprise and the facili ties have been provided by the citizens of the community for the care of the sick. These facilities which are provided by the com munity are used by the medical staff without charge, but for the use of which the medical staff members gladly treat indigent patients without charge, teach the student nurses, and write their records without complaining. All of the requirements placed upon the staff by the board of directors or trustees in exchange for the privilege of treating his private patients in the hospital are done to maintain high standards of medical practice within the hos pital. Without the medical staff there would be little need for a hospital. The staff needs the hos pital and the hospital needs the staff. The medical staff should al ways protect the financial in terests of the hospital by giving priority on patient funds when these are limited. It is a common practice for the hospital to re ceive its money first when de layed payments are necessary by the patient. This is a matter of public interest and is to the in terest of the professional staff and where this policy is follow ed, medical staff members re ceive adequate dividends in bet ter facilities within the hospital. "The third partner or the third leg of the tripod foundation upon which your community hospital rests is the county delegation. The itally a pub- Z hospital is fundamentally a lie institution and a good nos S ital should always be operated i the public interest which is the patient. This is true whether or not the patient is able to pay for his care and it is a generally ac cepted practice for public monies to be used to support such insti tutions in the public interest and for the common welfare. The county delegation of Kershaw county has accepted this respon sibility to a large extent, par ticularly for the care of indigent patients and the support from the county for the hospital in sub- stantial at the present time and doubtless will be increased as the need arises. I hope that the coun ty delegation will be able to maintain this fine record in sub sidizing the operating costs of the hospital and to go one step furth er and assist with some of the capital needs facing the hospital at the present time. “For many years your county did not adequately support your hospital. For instance, during the past ten years (1938-1747) the cost of caring for free patients at the Camden hospital amount ed to $274,263. During this same period the county contributed for making a total 462 contributed by of these patients only and the city of Camden total of $120,- these two pub lic agencies, leaving a difference between the cost of caring for these patients and the amount contributed of . $153,800, an aver age difference per year for the period of $15,380. You will see from these figures how much better off financially the hospital would be if the county and city had provided at least the cost of caring for these indigent patients during the whole ten-year period. "During this same ten-year per iod the hospital was able to pur chase only $9,872 worth of new equipment, exclusive of $15,000 worth of equipment which the hospital provided out of operat ing funds for the new addition. An expenditure of less than $1,000 per year for new equipment seems inadequate for a 76-bed hospital. "During the ten-year period (1938-1947) your hospital render ed 60,028 free days of care at a cost of $274,263 or an average cost of $4.50 per free patient per day. The county paid on these cases at an average per diem rate Dixon Brothers’ Remains Brought Home For Burial • Funeral Services Will Be Held Sunday Aften At Mt Olivet Church Aar •' of $1.90, the city less than 10c a day and The Duke Endowment contributed $1.00 a day, making the income for free patients day from these sources $2.00 against a cost of $4.50. Who paid the remainder? The full pay pat ient, the patient who was able to pay nis bill, was charged an amount in excess of cost to make up some of this deficit on the free patients and the citizens of your qpmmunity were required to mak# generous contributions to the hospital. Facilities for better and more economical care of the patient could have been provided U your public bodies had paid-the actual cost of caring for patients who were unable to pay. AD Are Urged To Send T. B. Seal Contributions In Mrs. Donald A Campbell, SefJ Sale chairman for the Kershaw County TB Association, stated that returns from the 1948 Seal Sale as of Monday, Dec. 13 total $1,142.05. Last year returns for the same date were $1,223.54. Mrs. Campbell urges all of those that have not sent in their contribu tion to please do so now. W. R. Gettys, president of the Association, at the meeting‘of the executive committee on Thursday, Dec. 9 commented Mrs. Campbell and all of the sub-chairmen for the splendid work that they have done during the campaign. Mr. Gettys also urges the peo ple of the community to con- tribute generously to the TB As sociation and to do it now while To SECURITY A Complete Check-up Of Your Cor By Skilled Mechanics BOYKIN PONTIAC WEST DeKALB STREET -ray that there was still great need for educational work in the control of tuberculosis in Kershaw coun ty. . . "Don’t forget to mail your con tributions to the Tuberculosis As sociation today," he urges. CHRISTMAS PLAY There will be a Christmas play at the Pentecostal Holiness church Thursday night, Dec. 23 at 7:30 o’clock. The title of this 5lay will be “The Scarlet Rib bon.” The public is cordially in vited to come and enjoy this play with us. * Funeral services for Sgt John C. Dixon and Pvt George E. Dixon, brothers, who were killed in action overseas durihg the war, will be held Sunday afternoon, Dec. 19 from the Mt Oliver Bap tist church at 2 o'clock, con- ducted by the Rev. J. B. Caston. Interment will followin the fam- ilyplot of the church. Tne bodies are expected to ar rive at the Kornegay Funeral Home on Friday and will remiin there until the funeral. Pvt. Dixon was killed in action while serving with the 15th In fantry at Anzio Beachhead on March 4, 1944. Sgt. Dixon was killed in actioh in Germany while serving with the 15th Infantry on March 19, 1945. Full military honors will be ac corded. Thd James. Leroy Belk Post of the American Legion will serve as an escort, Eatery B, 713th AAA Bn. - will fire the salute and the Camden High School band will furnish a bugler to blow taps. The two brothers are survived by their father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. George E. Dixon, of Camden; one brother, W. J. Dix on, of Camden; three sisters, Mrs. Elihu Dabney and Mrs. Fran Renewed Effort To Put Boy Scout Drive Over Top iphasis is Scout m the » to to put emi on the Boy campaign shaw county, since ready indicate that not reached the in the campaign to A .member of the c charge of the drive that the future of coun al- ovw the top. there & V* ^ its: ST: 1 —- celebrated thei/eth d Dec. 3. Da Clyburn, of n, and Mrs. k D. C. .Galloway, Columbia. Sgt Dixon is survived by a son, George, III, of Bishopville. Use Chronicle Want Ads LL Sheeting 25c per yd. D. (. Dixon Bargain House 951 Broad 81 J Tj fj Li - ~— 5E til a Complete Engine Repoir Service ' "• -$y ty*b- ■ -i •• • Whether it is one truck, o fleet or your personal cor, come to us! Wo have the most com plete facilities for all kinds of ' repairs! Export mechanics. Im mediate service. Low rates. And we're always opon for omergoncios. Mr. W. C. (Cofio) Manager 'll I n /\i/m i mellichamp-mmjoney MOTORS 6)3 • • • £ r’ ■pr GRILL WILL BE CLOSED Johnny's Grill, West DeKolb Street, Famous for Food, will be closed on Christmas Day and on tha Sunday following. | Johnny, Mrs. Johnny, and the entire staff of tha Grill oxfonds to all the customers their best wishes for a Many Chsistmos and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. . W JOHNNY BORRINI ; *i**»- Bicycles $42.50 to $67.50 Tricycles > $6.95 to $35.00 Footballs ....... $2.00 to $14.50 Basketballs $2.95 to 521.00 - ' • •. ■ Union Skates — —_ $3.65 and $3.95 Lionel Electric Trains to $75.00 -A ' . , \ Camp Cook Sets of Aluminum _$9.95 ~ ' 'Y'.ay" • ‘ rf ‘ ' ' . ’ • ' ? > «*£•% •' * Tex-Tan Cowboy Boots — Juvenile Football Equipment Tm » . _, , • - * * =SPORTLjQUIPMENT, INC. BAST DaKALB STREET